Integrated circulators sharing a continuous circuit

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a circuit assembly that includes an integrated circulator assembly. The circuit assembly has a first substrate, which contains a continuous circuit trace that includes a circulator component from the circulator assembly and at least one electrical component from the circuit assembly. A second substrate is disposed beneath the first substrate and includes a cladding on one surface. The second substrate contains an aperture that accepts a ferrite element, which is axially aligned with the circulator component of the circuit trace. A conductive material is placed across the ferrite element so that it forms a continuous ground plane with the cladding, which is common to the entire circuit trace. The circulator assembly also contains a magnet bonded to the ferrite element. The circulator assembly may also include a yoke disposed below the magnet to shield the circulator from external magnetic fields.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/314,160 of the same title filed 19 Dec. 2005, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/636,945,filed on Dec. 17, 2004. Both Applications are incorporated herein byreference as if fully set forth below.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device, system, andmethod for providing continuous circuit traces, and specifically to adevice, system, and method for providing continuous circuit tracescomprising circulators and other electronic components in a continuouscircuit trace, obviating the need for manual interconnects and impedancematching.

2. Description of the Related Art

The use of circulators to isolate and transmit electronic signals iswell known. Circulators are multi-port devices, which receive a radiofrequency (RF) signals on one port and route them to an adjacent portwhile isolating or decoupling the RF signal from the remaining ports.Currently, circulators are used for applications that operate at veryhigh frequencies. For example, circulators are commonly used inmicrowave circuits and microwave transmit and receive (T/R) modules forboth RADAR and communications systems. Conventional circulator designsmay include a y-shaped RF conductor with three port connectors that arepositioned between a pair of ferrite substrates. Magnets are placedabove and below the ferrite substrates to produce a DC-biasing magneticfield in the ferrite elements to provide non-reciprocal operation of thetransmission paths between the three port connectors. A thin metalplate, or cladding, is placed on the outer surface of each ferritesubstrate below each magnet to provide ground planes for the circulatorand provide shielding from spurious RF radiation. The components arethen placed within a steel case or housing to hold provided a returnpath for the magnetic fields generated by the magnets, while at the sametime shielding the components from extraneous magnetic fields.

Although circulators are extremely efficient devices, conventionalcirculators have several drawbacks. First, installation of conventionalcirculators on a circuit board requires that an aperture, which isslightly larger than the circulator package is cut into the circuitboard where the circulator is to be installed. The circulator is thenplaced within the aperture and the port connectors are attached to theexternal circuit trace on the circuit board using manualinterconnection, such as solder, ribbon cables, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1A, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,621 to Kane (“Kane”),printed circuit circulators are known in the art. Conventionally,however, even those circulators manufactured as printed circuitcomponents have nonetheless been connected to other external electroniccomponents (e.g., resistors, filters, additional circulators) usingtraditional methods. In other words, the external components are surfacemounted or through hole mounted and then soldered to the printed circuitboard (“PCB”). As a result, since the port leads 313, 401, 403 of thecirculator are normally made from different materials and have differentimpendence values from the external components 407, 409, 413, andbecause these components 407, 409, 413 are soldered to the board, thereis an impedance mismatch at the interconnects, which results in adegradation of the electrical performance of the circulator.

The impedance mismatch must be corrected using ribbon connectors, orother known methods to match the impedance the port connectors with thecircuit trace. As shown in FIG. 1B, from U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,317 toAndre (“Andre”), attempts to correct this impedance mismatch includeusing multiple stepped impedance matching sections 10 b, 10 c to performa conventional impedance transformation. This adds complexity to themanufacturing process and requires tuning based on the operationalfrequency range of the circulator. In other words, two resonatorsoperating at two different frequencies require impedance matchingsections 10 b, 10 c that are different sizes (i.e., widths) based ontheir frequency.

Additionally, discontinuities between the circulator and the circuittrace exist at the connection ports. The manual interconnects also leadto insertion losses at the port connectors, an increase in theinterference from unwanted RF signals, and high performance variabilityof the circulator. Furthermore, the manual interconnects tend to havepoor thermal capabilities, which can lead to a decrease in the amount ofsignal power that can be passed through the circuit.

Another drawback with conventional circulators is that the circulatorsdo not lie within the same plane as the components of the externalcircuit. This makes it difficult to effectively provide a common groundthe circulator and the circuit. Typically a metal plate must be moldedto conform to the contours created by the circulator and adhered to thebackside of both the circulator and the external circuit. Thisnon-planar ground plane can lead to reduction in the electricalperformance of the circulator.

Yet another drawback to conventional circulators is that they areexpensive to manufacture and cannot be made using an automatedmanufacturing process. For example, the ferrite substrates used inconventional circulators tend to be brittle and can be damaged in anautomated manufacturing process. In addition, the components,particularly the resonator, the ferrite elements, and the magnets mustbe precisely aligned to insure proper operation of the circulator.Consequently, all or at least part of conventional circulators must beassembled manually and the component aligned using a jig or and aligningframe. Once the components are properly aligned, they are sealed,usually by hand, in a steel housing. A spring or other compressionmechanism is usually placed in the housing to insure that the ferritematerial remains in constant contact with the resonator. Unfortunately,this assembly process is expensive in both time and money.

Several attempts have been made to solve these problems associated withconventional circulators. For example, one method attempted to reduceimpedance mismatch between two or more circulator by cascading thecirculators in a common package. The circulator includes two or more RFconductors cascaded together, which are disposed between two oblongferrite substrates. A single impedance matching element is coupledbetween the coupled connection ports of the cascaded circulatorresonators to improve the performance of the circulators. Unfortunatelythis method still must use manual interconnects to connect the cascadedcirculators to an exterior circuit. Furthermore, the circulator elementsare disposed between two ferrite substrates, which are easily damaged.

Another solution was to design a cost effective method of manufacturinga large number of circulators. The method includes depositing acirculator trace on a central dielectric substrate. A series ofdielectric shims, which are pre-drilled with an opening are disposedaround a ferrite element, which rests on top each side of the centralsubstrate. A steel plate is then placed on each side of the substratelayer. An outer shim then is placed on top of the steel disc. The outershim contains a number of vias etched down to the steel plate to providean electrical contact to ground. A number of vias are then drilled intothe outer shim and filled with a conductive material to provide contactsfor surface mounting the circulator to a circuit board. Although themethod uses inexpensive materials, this circulator has severaldrawbacks. First, the steel disc covers only a portion of the circulatortrace, which provides an inadequate ground for the circulator trace andconsequently does not adequately shield the circulator trace fromspurious RF signals. Furthermore, since the circulator is designed forsurface mounting, the circulator does not lie in-line with the externalcircuit and therefore, the ground plane of the circuit is non-planar anddiscontinuous. The ground plane between the external circuit and thecirculator must be bridged with ribbon cables, or other suitableconnectors, which results in electrical inefficiencies. Moreover, sincethe circulator is surface mounted, it uses manual interconnects toconnect the circulator to the external circuit, which result in animpedance mismatch between the circulator and the external circuit.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a low cost circulator thatuses standard dielectric materials that can be assembled usingconventional PCB techniques. There is a further need in the art for acirculator that can be integrated into a circuit, in which the circuittrace of the circulator and the trace of the electrical circuit are partof the same continuous circuit trace without the use of manualinterconnects. There is still a further need for a circulator that has acontinuous ground plane and can be inserted into a circuit board so thatthe circulator trace is in-line with the trace of the components fromthe external circuit.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device, system, andmethod for creating a continuous circuit trace comprising one or morecirculators and one or more external electronic components. The abilityto manufacture these components in a continuous circuit trace eliminatedimpedance mismatches created between the components. This, in turn,eliminates the need for physical impedance matching using, for example,variable width impedance matching sections between the components andthe adjacent circuitry and traces. This technology enables low costprinted circuit board (“PCB”) manufacturing of circulators and overcomesthe performance loss normally associated with printed circulators in thePCB environment.

Embodiments of the present invention can include device comprising afirst substrate and a continuous circuit trace printed on the firstsubstrate, the continuous circuit trace comprising a first circulatorpattern and a first external component. The circulator pattern cancomprise a central conductor element and three or more connection ports.In some embodiments, the circulator pattern can further comprise adiscontinuous ring disposed around the central conductor element toimprove circulator loading. In other embodiments, the central conductorelement can comprise one or more slots to improve circulator loading.

The first external component can comprise a variety of RF electroniccomponents. The RF electronic component can comprise, for example andnot limitation, a second circulator pattern, a filter, an antenna, apower divider, or a power combiner. In some embodiments, the circuit canfurther comprise a second external component in a continuous circuittrace with the first circulator pattern and the first externalcomponent. To improve circulator performance, the first substrate can berelatively thin. In some embodiments, the thickness of the firstsubstrate is between approximately 0.001 and 0.010 inches.

In some embodiments, the device can further comprise a second substratedisposed beneath the first substrate. The second substrate can comprise,for example, a cladding on a first side, an aperture, and a ferriteelement inserted into the aperture and proximately aligned with thecentral conductor element. In some embodiments, a conductive materialcan be disposed over the ferrite element in electrical contact with thecladding to form a continuous ground plane. A first magnet can also bedisposed below the ferrite element.

Embodiments of the present invention can also comprise a firstsubstrate, a first continuous circuit trace printed on the first side ofthe first substrate, the first continuous circuit trace comprising afirst circulator pattern and a first external component, and a secondcontinuous circuit trace printed on the second side of the firstsubstrate, the second continuous circuit trace comprising at least asecond circulator pattern. As above, the first and second circulatorseach can comprise a central conductor element and three or moreconnection ports. In some embodiments, the first circulator and thesecond circulator can be connected with conductive vias in the firstsubstrate.

Embodiments of the present invention can further comprise a secondsubstrate disposed beneath the first substrate. The second substrate cancomprise a cladding on a first side, a first aperture, and a firstferrite element inserted into the first aperture and proximately alignedwith the central conductor elements. A conductive material can bedisposed over the first ferrite element and in electrical contact withthe cladding on the first side of the second substrate and can form acontinuous ground plane. In some embodiments, a first magnet can bedisposed below the first ferrite element.

The thickness of the first substrate can be between approximately 0.001and 0.010 inches. The thickness of the second substrate can be betweenapproximately 0.01 and 0.07 inches. In a preferred embodiment, theconductive material comprises a conductive thin film adhesive. In someembodiments, the second continuous circuit trace printed on the secondside of the first substrate can comprise the second circulator patternand a second external component.

In some embodiments, a third substrate can be disposed above the firstsubstrate. The third substrate can comprise a cladding on a first side,a second aperture, and a second ferrite element. The second ferriteelement can be inserted into the second aperture and can be proximatelyaligned with the central conductor elements. In a preferred embodiment,a conductive material can be disposed over the second ferrite elementsuch that it is in electrical contact with the cladding on the firstside of the third substrate to form a continuous ground plane. Thedevice can further comprise a second magnet, which can be disposed abovethe second ferrite element.

Still other embodiments of the present invention can comprise a methodfor creating an integrated circuit comprising providing a firstsubstrate and printing a continuous circuit on the first side of thefirst substrate comprising a first circulator pattern and a firstexternal component.

The method can further comprise providing a second substrate comprisinga metalized layer on at least one side and creating a first aperture inthe second substrate sized and shaped to accept a first ferrite disk.The first ferrite disk can be inserted into the aperture and aconductive material can be placed over the first ferrite disk such thatthe conductive material is in electrical contact with the first ferritedisk and the metalized layer on the second substrate to form acontinuous ground plane. A first magnet can be placed below the firstferrite disk and the second substrate can be bonded to the bottom of thefirst substrate.

Embodiments of the present invention can further comprise providing athird substrate comprising a metalized layer on at least one side. Asecond aperture can be created in the third substrate sized and shapedto accept a second ferrite disk. The second ferrite disk can be insertedinto the aperture and a conductive material can be placed over theferrite disk such that the conductive material is in electrical contactwith the first ferrite disk and the metalized layer on the thirdsubstrate to form a continuous ground plane. In some embodiments, asecond magnet can be placed above the second ferrite disk. The thirdsubstrate can be bonded to the top of the first substrate. In someembodiments, a second continuous circuit trace can be printed on asecond side of the first substrate comprising at least a secondcirculator.

The various aspects of the present invention may be more clearlyunderstood and appreciated from a review of the following detaileddescription of the disclosed embodiments and by reference to theappended drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is an illustration of a printed circulator on a printed circuitboard (“PCB”) with conventional through-hole mounted resistors.

FIG. 1B is an illustration of a conventional circulator comprisingimpedance matching elements.

FIG. 1C is an illustration of a conventional circulator, which includestuning tabs.

FIG. 1D is an illustration of a conventional circulator with mismatchedport connections due to a discontinuous circuit trace.

FIG. 2A is an illustration of an exploded view of a circulator assemblyfor use with a microstrip circuit in accordance with some embodiments ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2B is an illustration of an exploded view of a circuit trace for acirculator assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2C is an illustration of an exploded view of a circulator assemblyintegrated with a microstrip circuit assembly in accordance with someembodiments the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an overhead view of a circulator assemblyintegrated with the microstrip circuit assembly in FIG. 2A in accordancewith some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a cross-sectional view of the circulatorassembly taken along the 4-4 line of FIG. 3 in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of an exploded view of an exemplary embodimentof a circulator assembly for use with a stripline circuit in accordancewith some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of an exploded view of a circulator assemblyintegrated within a stripline circuit assembly in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of an overhead view of a circulator assemblyintegrated within a stripline circuit assembly in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, collectively known as FIG. 8, are illustrations ofa cross-sectional view of the circulator assembly taken along the 8-8line of FIG. 7 in accordance with some embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of an isometric view of the circulatorassembly taken along the 9-9 line of FIG. 7 in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of an exploded view of another embodiment ofa circulator assembly integrated with in a stripline circuit assembly inaccordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an illustration of an overhead view of a stripline circuitassembly containing two integrated circulator assemblies in accordancewith some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a logic flow diagram illustrating a method for manufacturinga circulator assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To facilitate an understanding of the principles and features of thevarious embodiments of the invention, various illustrative embodimentsare explained below. Although preferred embodiments of the invention areexplained in detail, it is to be understood that other embodiments arecontemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention islimited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement ofcomponents set forth in the following description or illustrated in thedrawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed or carried out in various ways. Also, in describing thepreferred embodiments, specific terminology will be resorted to for thesake of clarity.

It must also be noted that, as used in the specification and theappended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include pluralreferences unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example,reference to a component is intended also to include composition of aplurality of components. References to a system containing “a” componentis intended to include other components in addition to the one named.

Also, in describing the preferred embodiments, terminology will beresorted to for the sake of clarity. It is intended that each termcontemplates its broadest meaning as understood by those skilled in theart and includes all technical equivalents, which operate in a similarmanner to accomplish a similar purpose.

Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” oneparticular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particularvalue. When such a range is expressed, other exemplary embodimentsinclude from the one particular value and/or to the other particularvalue.

The words “comprising,” “containing,” or “including” conveys that atleast the named compound, element, particle, or method step is presentin the composition or article or method, but does not exclude thepresence of other compounds, materials, particles, method steps, even ifthe other such compounds, material, particles, method steps have thesame function as what is named.

It is also to be understood that the mention of one or more method stepsdoes not preclude the presence of additional method steps or interveningmethod steps between those steps expressly identified. Similarly, it isalso to be understood that the mention of one or more components in acomposition does not preclude the presence of additional components thanthose expressly identified.

Various tabs, slots, and other features can be used to change, forexample and not limitation, the frequency response, the bandwidth, orthe loading characteristics of a resonator. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1Dfrom Kane, for example, a circulator can comprise a central triangularconducting portion surrounded by a discontinuous ring. The slots in thering act as a loading mechanism and enable the overall size of theresonator to be reduced. As mentioned above, FIG. 1B from Andre depictsa circulator comprising a central circular conducting portion 28 withports 10 comprising impedance matching sections 10 b, 10 c. FIG. 1C,from U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,106 to Tresselt (“Tresselt) depicts a centralcircular conducting portion with tabs 34 mounted on the ports. Thesetabs enable the bandwidth of the circulator to be broadened or narrowed,as applicable.

For the sake of clarity, the term “circulator” as used herein refers tocirculators in general, including various designs and includingcomponents (e.g., tabs, slots, and impedance matching sections) used to“tune” circulators. Components that affect the operation of thecirculator itself, as opposed to the overall circuit, are consideredpart of the circulator as opposed to “external” components. In otherwords, as used herein, FIGS. 1B-1D depict only circulators without anyexternal components. In addition, the actual design of the circulator isimmaterial to embodiments of the present invention.

External components or external electronic components, as used herein,can include, for example and not limitation, additional circulators, afilter, an antenna, a power divider, or a power combiner. Thesecomponents are located in the same circuit with, but outside, thecirculator and are used primarily to modify the signal going through thecircuit (as opposed to tuning the circulator itself). FIG. 2C, forexample, depicts a circulator 110 in a continuous circuit trace with afilter 210. In this configuration, the filter 210 would be consideredthe “external” electronic component.

The term “continuous circuit trace,” as used herein, can includecircuits that are printed, vapor deposited (“sputtered”), laminated,etched, or otherwise deposited or manufactured on a printed circuitboard (“PCB”). These circuits are made by printing the variouscomponents on the PCB and the components and are connected using printedconductors, or traces, as opposed to manual interconnects, soldering, orother mechanical connection means. PCB manufacturing reduces costs andreduces or eliminates impedance mismatches in connections. As a result,impedance matching measures, such as those described above, areunnecessary.

Embodiments of the present invention, therefore, relate to an apparatus,system, and method for providing a continuous circuit trace comprisingone or more circulators and one or more external electronic components(e.g., a circulator, a resistor, or a filter). The one or morecirculators and the one or more external components can be manufacturedin a continuous circuit trace such that no manual interconnects arenecessary. This, among other things, decreases manufacturing costs,increases reliability and performance, and reduces product size.

FIG. 2A is an exploded view of a circulator assembly 100 in accordancewith some embodiments of the present invention. The circulator assembly100 contains a single ground plane in what is commonly known as a“microstrip” configuration. The circulator assembly 100 includes a firstsubstrate 105 that is made from a non-ferrous dielectric material and isused to support a circuit trace 110. Typically, the first substrate 105is made from dielectric materials that are used in constructingconventional PCBs. For example, the first substrate 105 may be made frompolymers, such as but not limited to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE),combinations of PTFE and woven glass fibers, PTFE and random micro fiberglass, PTFE and ceramic, polyamides and polyamide compositions includingpolyamide and glass, polyamide film, epoxy resins, such as cyanateester, bisamalemide tiazine, and the like. However, the first substrate105 may also be made from semiconductor material such as but not limitedto silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium antimonide (InSb),cadmium sulfide (CdS), and cadmium selenide (CdSe) for specializedapplications.

The circuit trace 110 is applied to one side of the substrate 105 usingstandard PCB manufacturing techniques, such as physical vapor deposition(PVD), also known as “sputtering,” chemical vapor deposition (CVD), andthe like. The circuit trace 110 is a conductive material, such as gold(Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti) and thelike is first applied to the substrate 105. A mask that contains thepattern of the circuit element, in this case the pattern forms acirculator pattern 115, or circulator component 115 on the conductivematerial. The circulator pattern 115 can comprise a central conductorportion 115A and three or more connection ports 115B. In someembodiments, as shown, the circulator pattern 115 can comprise one ormore notches, a discontinuous outer ring, or other components to alteror tune the behavior of the circulator 115.

The exposed conductive material is removed from the substrate. The maskis then removed leaving desired circuit trace 110. The circuit trace 110of the circulator 100 created in this manner, forms a continuous tracewith no discontinuities or irregularities. Alternatively, the circulatorcircuit trace 110 may be located on one side of the substrate 105 andconnected through conductive vias 175 passing through the substrate 105to a second circulator circuit trace 170 as shown in FIG. 2B. The use ofthe second circulator circuit trace 170 can increase performance byincreasing bandwidth, lowering insertion loss, and improving isolation.

The circulator circuit trace 110 may have the form of any conventionalcirculator. In FIG. 2A, the circulator circuit trace 110 contains a RFresonator and three conductive transfer strips that extend from thepoints of the triangular resonator and terminate at electrodes orcontact pads (not shown) for connecting to an external circuit. Althoughthe circuit trace 110 is depicted as having a triangular-shaped RFresonator, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the circuittrace 110 may take on any shape that contains a central resonator andthree equally spaced conductive transfer strips extending from thecentral RF resonator without departing from the scope of the invention.As mentioned above, the circulator 110 can also comprise various tuningelements to modify the behavior of the circulator 110.

The circulator assembly 100 also has a second substrate 120 disposedbelow the first substrate 105. The second substrate 120 is also madefrom a dielectric material and is preferably made from a dielectricmaterial used for constructing PCBs, as described above. The secondsubstrate 120 may be made from the same dielectric material as the firstsubstrate 105 or may be made from a different dielectric material basedon the design criteria. The second substrate 120 includes an aperture125 that is proximately aligned with the circulator circuit trace 110.The aperture 125 is typically circular in shape; however, the aperturecan also be any polygonal shape, such as a square, a triangle, apentagon, a hexagon, and so forth. The bottom side of the secondsubstrate 120 includes a cladding 130 that forms a continuous groundplane. The cladding 130 is a thin layer of a conductive material such ascopper, gold, silver, aluminum, titanium, and the like.

The circulator assembly 100 also contains a ferrite element 135 disposedwithin the aperture 125 of the second substrate 120. The ferrite element135 is circular in shape and has diameter that matches the diameter ofthe aperture 125 so that it may rigidly affixed into the aperture 125.Although the ferrite element 135 is typically described as beingcircular, the ferrite element 135 will have the same shape as theaperture 125 to insure that the ferrite element 135 self aligns itselfwith the circulator circuit trace 110 and minimize any discontinuitiesbetween the second substrate 120 and the ferrite element 135.

Disposed beneath the ferrite element 135 is a conductive material 140.The conductive material 140 is slightly larger than the aperture 125 toensure that it makes electrical contact with the cladding 130, therebyproviding a continuous ground plane across the circulator circuit trace110. The conductive material 140 is typically very thin, approximatelyin the range from 0.001 inches to 0.003 inches. As a result, theconductive material 140 approximately coplanar with the cladding 130,which provide improved shielding and improved electrical performanceover conventional circulators. In one exemplary embodiment, theconductive material 140 is a conductive thin film adhesive that can becut into any desired shape. The conductive thin film adhesive 140 issimply adhered to the cladding 130 of the second substrate 120 makingsure that it fully covers the aperture 125, thereby ensuring acontinuous ground plane. In addition to completing the ground plane, theconductive tape also provides additional support to the ferrite element135, thereby further securing it within the aperture 125 and eliminatingthe outer support casing required for conventional circulators. Inanother exemplary embodiment, the conductive material 140 may be aconductive adhesive, such as conductive two-part epoxy. The conductivetwo-part epoxy is applied across the aperture in a thin layer while inthe molten state, typically having a thickness approximately between0.001 inches and 0.003 inches and allowed to cure. In yet anotherexemplary embodiment, the conductive material 140 may simply be a thinmetal film. The metal film can be secured to the cladding using a thinbead of adhesive.

The circulator assembly 100 also contains a magnet 145 located below theconductive material 140 and proximately aligned with both the ferritematerial 135 and the circulator circuit trace 110. In an exemplaryembodiment, the magnet 145 is a permanent magnet and is polarized toproduce a direct current (DC) biased magnetic field that passes throughthe ferrite material 135 and the circulator circuit trace 110. Themagnet 145 is held in place by the conductive material 140.

The circulator assembly 100 may also contain a yoke 155 that is disposedbeneath the magnet 145. The yoke 155 is typically slightly larger thanthe magnet 145 and has a plate 160 and a tang 165 that extends aroundthe periphery of the plate 160. The tang 165 has a height sufficient tocover the magnet 145 to provide both a DC magnetic field return path andadequate shielding from external magnetic fields.

The circulator assembly 100 also contains three connection pads (notshown) at the ends of each of the three conductive strips of thecirculator circuit trace 110 that electrically connect the circuitassembly 100 to an external circuit. The connection pads may be mouseholes, which are known in the art. Alternatively, the connection padsmay be formed on the underside of the second substrate 120 for use as asurface mounted component.

FIG. 2C is an illustration of an exploded view of a microstrip circuit200 containing the circulator assembly 100. As shown by the figure, thecirculator assembly 100 comprises circular loading mechanisms and isfully integrated into the microstrip circuit 200 as opposed to beingconnected through manual interconnections as required by conventionalcirculators. The microstrip circuit 200 contains a continuous circuittrace 205 deposited or etched on a first substrate 105. The continuouscircuit trace 205 contains at least one circulator circuit trace 110electrically connected to at least one other external RF component 210(as opposed to components associated with the circulator, as mentionedabove). The RF component 210 may be a filter component, a couplercomponent, or any other type of RF component. The RF component 210 mayeven be another circulator. Because the circulator circuit trace 110 isintegrated within the continuous circuit trace 205 that contains the RFcomponent 210, there are no discontinuities or manual interconnectsbetween the circulator circuit trace 110 and the RF component 210.Integration of the circulator assembly 100 provides several advantagesover conventional circulator designs. First, because conventionalcirculator designs require interconnects between the circulator and anexternal circuit element, there will always be an impedance mismatch atthe interconnect, which results in unwanted signal degradation throughthe system. However, since the circulator circuit trace 110 isintegrated within the circuit trace 205, there is no impedance mismatchbetween the circulator circuit trace 110 and the electronic component210. Therefore, there is little to no signal degradation at theinterfaces between the circulator assembly 100 and other connecting RFcomponents 210. Second, because interconnects bridge a discontinuity ina circuit trace, conventional circulators tend to have high insertionlosses at the interconnects. Since the present invention eliminates anyinterconnects, insertion losses associated with those interconnects areeliminated. Additionally, by eliminating the interconnects, there are nodiscontinuities when connecting the circulator assembly 100 into themicrostrip circuit 200 to allow RF interference to enter the microstripcircuit 200. As a result, interference due to unwanted RF signals in thecirculator assembly 100 is greatly reduced.

A second substrate 120, which contains a cladding 130 on the outsidesurface, is disposed below the first substrate 105. The second substrate120 contains an aperture 125 that is aligned with the circulator circuittrace 110 of the continuous circuit trace 205. Typically, the firstsubstrate 105 is much thinner than the second substrate. The firstsubstrate 105 has a thickness in the range of approximately 0.001 inchesto 0.010 inches, while the second substrate 120 has a thickness in therange of approximately 0.010 inches to 0.070 inches. In one exemplaryembodiment the first substrate 105 has a thickness in the range ofapproximately 0.003 inches to 0.007 inches, and more preferably 0.005inches, while the second substrate 120 has a thickness in the range ofapproximately 0.01 inches to 0.07 inches, and more preferably 0.03inches. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the thicknesses ofthe first substrate 105 and the second substrate 120 are necessarily notlimited to the values herein provided and may be adjusted to anythickness as required by a particular design.

A ferrite element 135 is located within the aperture 125. Beneath theferrite element 135 is a conductive material 140. In an exemplaryembodiment, the conductive material 140 is made from a conductive thinfilm adhesive, which is laid across the ferrite element 135. Theconductive material 140 is slightly larger than the aperture 125. Thisallows the conductive material 140 to make electrical contact with thecladding 130 and form a continuous ground plane over the entirecontinuous circuit trace 205. Maintaining the ground plane that iscontinuous over the entire continuous circuit trace 205 providesimproved shielding of the microstrip circuit 200 from unwanted externalRF signals. Furthermore, since the conductive material 140 is made froma thin film, typically on the order of approximately 0.001 inches, theconductive material 140 is substantially planar with the cladding 130,which improves electrical performance of the microstrip circuit 200,since path length along the ground plane is substantially the same asthe path length along the continuous circuit trace 205.

A magnet 145 is disposed below the conductive material 140 and isproximally aligned with the ferrite element 135. The magnet 145 is usedto induce a biased magnetic field through the ferrite element 135. Ayoke 155 may then be bonded to the magnet 145 using an adhesive material150 to provide a return path for the biased magnetic field and alsoshield the circulator assembly 100 from unwanted external magneticfields.

FIG. 3 is a top-down view of the microstrip circuit 200 containing theintegrated circulator assembly 100 of FIG. 2, in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention. The continuous circuit trace 205containing the circulator circuit trace 110 and another RF component 210is shown by the figure. Disposed beneath the first substrate 105 is thesecond substrate 120 (not shown), which contains the ferrite material135 located within the aperture 125. As seen from the figure, theferrite material 135 is proximately aligned with the central RFresonator of the circulator circuit trace 110. The conductive material140 extends beyond the aperture 125 to provide an electrical contactwith the cladding 130 (not shown) on the backside of the secondsubstrate 120 (not shown). The conductive material 140 is alsoproximately aligned with the aperture 125.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the microstrip circuit200 taken along the 4-4 line of FIG. 3. The continuous circuit trace205, which contains the circulator circuit trace 110, is located on thetop surface of the first substrate 105. The first substrate 105 iscomposed of a thin layer of a nonferrous dielectric material, such asPTFE, or other materials used for the manufacture of PCBs. The firstsubstrate 105 is relative thin and has a thickness, T₁ that in the rangeof approximately 0.001 inches to 0.010 inches, while the secondsubstrate 120 has a thickness T₂, in the range of approximately 0.010inches to 0.070 inches. In one exemplary embodiment the first substrate105 has a thickness T₁, in the range of approximately 0.003 inches to0.007 inches, and more preferably 0.005 inches, while the secondsubstrate 120 has a thickness T₂, in the range of approximately 0.01inches to 0.07 inches, and more preferably 0.03 inches. Those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the thicknesses T₁ and T₂ of the firstsubstrate 105 and the second substrate 120 respectively, are necessarilynot limited to the values herein provided and may be adjusted to anythickness as required by a particular design. The continuous circuittrace 205 is typically deposited on top of the first substrate 105 in avery thin layer, having a thickness, T₃, in the range of approximately0.0008 inches to 0.0015 inches.

The second substrate 120 is bonded to the bottom of the first substrate105 using standard circuit board adhesives known in the art. The secondsubstrate 120 is also made from non-ferrous dielectric materials, whichare used for the construction of PCBs, such as PTFE and the like. In oneexemplary embodiment, the second substrate 120 and the first substrate105 are made from the same dielectric material. However, those skilledin the art will appreciate that the first substrate 105 and the secondsubstrate 120 may be made from different non-ferrous dielectricmaterials with different dielectric constants, as required by aparticular application. The bottom of the second substrate 120 alsocontains a thin cladding 130 that provides the ground plane for themicrostrip circuit 200.

Integrated within the second substrate 120 is the ferrite material 135.The ferrite material 135 is disposed in the aperture 125, which has beenmilled into the second substrate 120. Alternatively, the ferritematerial 135 may be affixed in the aperture 125 using a conventionalheat resistant, non-conductive adhesive material, such as a two-partepoxy, which is known in the art. The ferrite material 135 hassubstantially the same thickness, T₂, as the second substrate 120 so thetop of the ferrite material 135 and the top of the second substrate 120,and the bottom of the ferrite material 135 and the bottom of the secondsubstrate 120, form substantially coplanar surfaces. This allows thefirst substrate 105 to lay flat upon the second substrate 120 withoutany significant variation in height at the interface between the secondsubstrate 120 and the ferrite material 135, as any variation may stressthe first substrate 105. Stresses in the first substrate 105 may lead tocracking or even rupture of the first substrate 105 above the interfacebetween the second substrate 120 and the ferrite material 135, which canlead to degradation in the performance or even complete failure of thestripline circuit 200. The desirability to have the bottom of theferrite material 135 and the bottom of the second substrate 120 beingsubstantially coplanar is to provide planar ground plane, which haspreviously been discusses.

The conductive material 140 is disposed on the underside of the secondsubstrate 120. The conductive material 140 extends beyond the boundaryof the aperture 125 so that it provides sufficient electrical contactwith the cladding 130 on the underside of the second substrate 120,thereby providing a continuous ground plane for the microstrip circuit200. In addition to providing a continuous ground plane across theferrite element 135, the conductive material 140 also bonds the ferriteelement 135 in the aperture 125 of the second substrate 120. Inaddition, the conductive material 140 has sufficient flexibility toaccommodate small variances in the thickness between the secondsubstrate 120 and the ferrite element 135 due manufacturing tolerances.The magnet 145 is larger than the aperture 125 and is also aligned withthe ferrite element 135 to ensure that the ferrite element 135 iscompletely covered. Finally, the yoke 155 is bonded to the magnet 145using an adhesive material 150. The tang 165 (FIG. 2) of the yoke 155extends in an upward direction from the plate 160 (FIG. 2) and fullysurrounds the magnet 145 thereby shielding the magnet 145 from externalmagnetic fields that may interfere with the operation of the circulatorassembly 100.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a circulatorassembly 500 arranged in a stripline configuration in accordance withsome embodiments of the present invention. The circulator assembly 500includes a first substrate 503 that supports a circulator circuit trace506. The first substrate 503 is composed of a thin layer of nonferrousdielectric material, such as PTFE, and other materials used for themanufacture of PCBs. The circulator circuit trace 506 contains atriangular-shaped central resonator and three conductive transfer stripsspaced equally around the perimeter of the triangular-shaped centralresonator. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other shapesmay be used for the central resonator, without departing from the scopeof the invention.

The circulator assembly 500 also contains a second substrate 512 that ispositioned below the first substrate 503 and a third substrate 533 thatis positioned above the first substrate 503, thereby forming a laminarstructure. The second substrate 512 and the third substrate 533 are alsomade from a non-ferrous dielectric material. In an exemplary embodiment,the second substrate 512 and the third substrate 533 are made from thesame dielectric material used for the first substrate 503. In anotherexemplary embodiment, the second substrate 512 and the third substrate533 are made from a dielectric material that is different from thedielectric material used for the first substrate 503.

The second substrate 512 contains a first cladding 515 disposed on thebottom exterior surface (not shown). Similarly, the third substrate 533contains a second cladding 536 deposited on the top exterior surface.The first and second claddings 515 and 536 are formed by depositing athin layer of metal using standard deposition techniques, such as PVD,CVD, and the like. The second substrate 512 and the third substrate 533each contain an aperture 518 and 539, respectively. The apertures 518and 539 are aligned with the circulator circuit trace 506 on the firstsubstrate 503. A first ferrite element 521 is inserted into the firstaperture 518 and a second ferrite element 542 is inserted into thesecond aperture 539. The ferrite elements 521 and 542 are typicallyplaced into the apertures 518 and 539, respectively. However, theferrite elements 521 and 542 may be affixed in the apertures 518 and 539using an adhesive, such as a two-part epoxy and the like.

A first conductive material 524 is disposed across the underside of thefirst ferrite element 521. Similarly, a second conductive material 545is placed across the top of the second ferrite element 542. In anexemplary embodiment, the conductive materials 524 and 545 are formedfrom conductive thin film adhesive, which are slightly larger than theapertures 518 and 539. The conductive thin film adhesives makeelectrical contact with the claddings 515 and 536 to provide twocontinuous ground planes, which shield the circulator circuit trace 506from unwanted RF radiation. Alternatively, rather than using aconductive thin film adhesive, the conductive materials 524 and 545 maybe made from a conductive adhesive, such as a conductive two-part epoxy.Typically, the conductive materials 524 and 545 are relatively thin. Asa result, the conductive materials 524 and 545 are approximatelycoplanar with the claddings 515 and 536.

The circulator assembly 500 also contains a first magnet 527 disposedbelow the first ferrite element 521. Similarly, a second magnet 548 islocated above the second ferrite element 542. Both the first magnet 527and the second magnet 548 are proximately aligned with the circulatorcircuit trace 506 to produce a DC biased magnetic field that passesthrough the ferrite elements 521 and 542 and the circulator circuittrace 506.

The circulator assembly 500 may also have a yoke 554 that has a topplate 557 and a bottom plate 560. The top plate 557 of the yoke 554 isplaced on top of the second magnet 548. A first adhesive material 551may be inserted between the top plate 557 and the second magnet 548 toaffix the top plate 557 to the second magnet 548. Similarly, the bottomplate 560 is disposed on the bottom of the first magnet 527 and may bebonded to the first magnet 527 by a second adhesive material 530. In anexemplary embodiment, the first adhesive material 551 and the secondadhesive material 530 are made from the same conductive material that isused to complete the ground planes across the second substrate 509 andthe third substrate 533.

The yoke 554 may also contain at least one tang 563 that extends betweenthe top plate 557 and the bottom plate 560 and provides a return pathfor the magnetic field induced by the magnets 527 and 548. In anexemplary embodiment, the yoke 554 includes two tangs 563, which passthrough a first pair of cutouts in the first substrate 503, a secondpair of cutouts in the second substrate 512, and a third pair of cutoutsin the third substrate 533 and connects to the bottom plate 560. The topplate 557 and the bottom plate 560 of the yoke 554 are approximately thesame size or slightly larger than the magnets 527 and 548 to providesufficient shielding to the circulator circuit trace 506. Although theyoke 554 has been described as having two tangs 563, those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the yoke 554 may have either a single tang563 or three tangs 563 located intermediate of the three conductivestrips of the circulator circuit trace 506. Each of the first pair ofcutout, the second pair of cutouts, and the third pair of cutout areedge plated to provide additional shielding and isolation for thecirculator assembly 500.

The circulator assembly 500 also contains three connection pads (notshown) at the ends of each of the three conductive strips of thecirculator circuit trace 506 that electrically connect the circulatorassembly 500 to an external circuit. The connection pads may be mouseholes, which are known in the art. Alternatively, the connection padsmay be formed on the underside of the second substrate 512 for use as asurface mounted device. The connection pads may be formed on theunderside of the second substrate 512 by etching vias through the secondsubstrate 512 up to each of the three conductive strips. The vias arethen filled with a conductive material such as copper, gold, silver,aluminum, and the like.

A stripline circuit 600 in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention is shown in FIGS. 6-9. The stripline circuit 600includes at least one circulator assembly 500 (FIG. 5) that isintegrated into the stripline circuit 600. The circulator assembly 500is integrated with at least one external RF component 609 in acontinuous circuit trace 606 etched on a first substrate 603 inaccordance with some embodiments of the present invention. The RFcomponent 609 may be a filter component, a coupler component, or anyother type of electronic component. Because the circulator circuit trace605 is integrated with the continuous circuit trace 606, there are nodiscontinuities or interconnects between the circulator circuit trace506 and the RF component 609. As with the microstrip circuit 200, thisconfiguration provides several advantages over conventional circulatordesigns, including improved impedance matching between the circulatorassembly 500 and the other electronic components 609, low insertionlosses, improved shielding to unwanted RF signals, and greaterreliability. Although the stripline circuit 600 is shown with a singlecirculator assembly 500 integrated with a single RF component 609, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the stripline circuit 600 may beexpanded to include any number of circulator assemblies 500 integratedwith any number of RF components 609 without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

A second substrate 612 and the third substrate 633 are disposed belowand above the first substrate 603, respectively and have claddings 615and 636 deposited on their respective outside surfaces. The secondsubstrate 612 and third substrate 633 contain apertures 618 and 639,respectively, which are proximately aligned with the circulator circuittrace 605. Ferrite elements 621 and 642 are disposed within theapertures 618 and 639. Conductive material 624 and 645 overlap theapertures 618 and 639. In an exemplary embodiment, the conductivematerials 624 and 645 are made from a conductive thin film adhesive,which is laid across the ferrite elements 621 and 642. Because theconductive thin film adhesive 624 and 645 are larger than the apertures618 and 639, the thin film adhesive makes electrical contact with thecladdings 615 and 636 and forms continuous ground planes over the entirecontinuous circuit trace 606. Maintaining ground planes that arecontinuous over the entire continuous circuit trace 606 providesimproved shielding of the stripline circuit 600 from unwanted externalRF signals. Furthermore, since the conductive materials 624 and 645 aremade from a conductive thin film adhesive, which has a thicknesstypically on the order of approximately 0.001 inches, the conductivefilm is substantially planar with the claddings 615 and 636, whichfurther improves the electrical capabilities since the path length alongthe ground planes are substantially the same length as the path lengthof the continuous circuit trace 606. Magnets 627 and 648 are disposedbelow and above the conductive material 624 and 645 and are proximallyaligned with the ferrite elements 621 and 642. The yoke 654 may then bebonded to the magnets 627 and 648 using an adhesive material 630 and 651to provide a return path for the DC biased magnetic field and also toprovide shielding to the circulator assembly 500 (FIG. 5) from unwantedexternal magnetic fields.

FIG.7 is an overhead view of the stripline circuit 600 in accordancewith some embodiments of the present invention. The first substrate 603(not shown), which carries the continuous circuit trace 606 that shownin broken lines, is disposed between a second substrate 612 (not shown)and a third substrate 633. The continuous circuit trace 606 includes thecirculator circuit trace 605 electrically connected to the RF component609. Since the circulator circuit trace 605 and the RF component 609 areintegrated into the same continuous circuit trace 606, there are nointerconnects between the circulator circuit trace 605 and the RFcomponent 609. This allows the stripline circuit 600 to have betterelectrical properties, such as improved impedance matching between thecircuit components, improved signal transmission, and improved heatdistribution through the continuous circuit trace 606.

In addition, the cladding 636 cover the entire exterior, or top surface,of the third substrate 633. The conductive material 645 extends beyondthe aperture 639 to provide an electrical contact with the cladding 636to form a continuous ground plane over the entire continuous circuittrace 606. This allows the circulator circuit trace 605 to share acommon ground with the RF component 609. Having a common ground betweenthe circulator circuit trace 605 and the RF component 609 providesseveral advantages over conventional circulators. The common groundplane provides increased shielding of the continuous circuit trace 606from external RF radiation. The common ground plane also increases lineisolation and reduces radiative emissions from the stripline circuit 600to improve the electrical performance of the stripline circuit 600.

Referring to FIGS. 8A, 8B and FIG. 9, a cross-sectional view of aportion the stripline circuit 600 is shown. In particular, FIG. 8A is anillustration of a cross-section of the circuit assembly 600 taken alongthe 8-8 line of FIG. 7, while FIG. 8B is a magnified view of thecross-section shown in FIG. 8A. FIG. 9 is an illustration of anisometric view of the stripline circuit 600 taken along the 9-9 line ofFIG. 7. The cross sectional views illustrate the relative thickness ofthe first substrate 603 to the second and third substrates 612 and 633.The first substrate 603 has a thickness, T₁ that is in the range ofapproximately 0.001 inches to 0.010 inches. The second and thirdsubstrates 612 and 633 typically have the same thickness, T₂ that isgreater than the thickness of the first substrate 603 and in the rangeof approximately 0.01 inches to 0.07 inches. In a preferred embodiment,the first substrate 603 has a thickness T₁, in the range ofapproximately 0.003 inches to 0.007 inches and more preferably about0.005 inches, while the second substrate has a thickness T₂, in therange of approximately 0.01 inches to 0.07 inches, and more preferablyabout 0.03 inches. The detail of a portion of the continuous circuittrace 606 is shown in FIG. 8B to show its relative thickness. Typically,the continuous circuit trace 606 is very thin and has a thickness T₃,usually in the range of approximately 0.25 ounces/meter² (oz/m²) to 1.0(oz/m²). Any gaps 805 (FIG. 8B) between the first substrate 603 and thethird substrate 633 are filled with a standard thermally stableadhesive, which is well known in the manufacturing of PCBs. Thecontinuous circuit trace 606 is substantially uniform along its entirepath due to the elimination of interconnects between the circulatorassembly 500 and the RF component 609. The uniformity of the circuittrace 606 leads to the improved heat distribution along the continuouscircuit trace 606, which allows the stripline circuit 600 to handlehigher power signals.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of another exemplary embodiment of astripline circuit assembly 1000 containing a circulator assemblyintegrated with at least on other RF component in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention. The stripline circuit 1000 isidentical to the stripline circuit 600 shown in FIG. 6, except the yoke654 has been eliminated from the circulator assembly 500.

Although the stripline circuit has been shown to have a singlecirculator element integrated into the circuit trace 606, those skilledin the art will appreciate that the stripline circuit assembly 600 cancontain any number of circulator assemblies integrated within thecircuit trace. FIG. 11 in an illustration of another exemplary striplinecircuit 1100 that contains two circulator assemblies 1110 and 1115 thathave a circulator circuit trace 1120 and 1125, respectively connected inseries, which are integrated within a continuous circuit trace 1115containing at least one other electronic element 1030 in accordance withthe present invention. As seen by the figure, the circulator circuittraces 1120 and 1125 are connected through a common circuit trace 1115to the RF component 1130 without using interconnects. Furthermore, thecirculator assemblies 1105 and 1110 share a common ground plane with theRF component 1130, where the common ground plane 1130 extending over theentire continuous circuit trace 1115.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating a process 1200 for manufacturingthe circulator assembly 100 in accordance with some embodiment of thepresent invention. The process 1200 allows the large scale manufacturingof highly reliable and inexpensive circulator assemblies 100 by usingreadily available low cost materials and eliminating the need formanually assembling the microstrip circulator assemblies 100. Althoughthe process 1200 is described for manufacturing a microstrip circulatorassembly 100, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the process1200 is also applicable for manufacturing a stripline circulator 500(FIG. 5) in accordance the present invention. Furthermore, those skilledin the art will appreciate that the method 1200 is equally applicablefor manufacturing the microstrip circuits 200 (FIG. 2) and striplinecircuits 600 (FIG. 6) that include integrated circulator assemblies.

Process 1200 begins at 1205, in which a circuit trace 110 is created ona first substrate 105, wherein the continuous circuit trace containsleast one circulator circuit trace 110. The first substrate 105 is madefrom a non-ferrous dielectric material, such as dielectric materialsused for manufacturing PCBs. For instance, the first substrate 105 maybemade from PTFE, or a PTFE combined with glass, glass fibers, resin,ceramics, and the like. Typically, the first substrate 105 that carriesthe continuous circuit trace 110 is relatively thin. For instance, in anexemplary embodiment, the first substrate 105 has a thickness, T₁, inthe range of approximately 0.003 inches and 0.007 inches and morepreferably of approximately 0.005 inches.

The continuous circuit trace 110 may be deposited on the first substrate105 using any conventional method known in the art. For example, thecontinuous circuit trace 110 may be deposited on the first substrate 105by physical vapor deposition, also known as sputtering, chemical vapordeposition, electro deposition, lamination, and the like. Alternatively,one side of the first substrate 105 can contain cladding one side andthe continuous circuit trace 110 can be etched using standardtechniques. Designing the continuous circuit trace 110 provides severaladvantages over the circulator components used in conventionalcirculators. For instance, since the continuous circuit trace 110resides on non-ferrous dielectric substrate, the continuous trace 110 ofthe circulator assembly 100 can be manufactured using conventional PCBtechniques. Second, the non-ferrous dielectric is more durable than theferrous substrates used in conventional circulators. Conventionalferrous substrates are typically made from ferrite or pressed frommetallic powder, which tends to be brittle, easily broken, limited insize, expensive, and usually is not compatible with other RF components.Therefore, the use of materials commonly used for PCBs for the firstsubstrate makes the circulator assembly 100 more robust thanconventional circulators and therefore, is conducive to automatedmanufacturing.

At 1210, an aperture 125 is cut into the second substrate 120 at aposition that will allow it to be proximately aligned with the circuittrace 110 when the second substrate 120 is bonded to the first substrate105. The aperture 125 is bored completely through the second substrate120 and the cladding 130. This “through-boring” process has severaladvantages over existing circulators. The aperture 125 avoids theproblems associated with milling a recess in the substrate to small andprecise tolerances, which are difficult to achieve, problematic, andexpensive to manufacture.

At 1215, a stack is created by placing a second substrate 120 comprisinga cladding layer 130 on at least one side below the first substrate 105.An adhesive material, such as bond film that is suitable for RF circuitsis placed between the first substrate 105 and the second substrate 120.The second substrate 120 is also constructed from a non-ferrousdielectric material used for making PCBs. Typically, the secondsubstrate 120 is made from the same material and has the same dielectricconstant as the first substrate 105. However, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the second substrate 120 may be made from adifferent material and have a different dielectric constant than thefirst substrate 105. Furthermore, the second substrate 120 is made tohave thickness, T₂ that is greater than the thickness of the firstsubstrate 105. In one exemplary embodiment, the thickness T₂, of thesecond substrate 120 is between approximately 0.01 inches and 0.07inches, and more preferably about 0.03 inches. At this time the stack,which consists of the first substrate 105 and the second substrate 120may be bonded tighter to form a circuit board laminate. Alternatively,the bonding process may be performed after all of the elements have beenaligned and assembled.

The second substrate 120 contains an aperture 125 that is proximatelyaligned with the circuit trace 110 on the first substrate 105. Theaperture 125 is typically circular in shape and has a diameter thatencompasses the entire central resonator portion of the circulatorcircuit trace 110. A circular-shaped aperture 125 is preferred overother shapes, as a circular-shaped aperture 125 is easier and lessexpensive to manufacture than other shaped aperture. Although acircular-shaped aperture 125 is described as being more desirable, theaperture 125 may have any polygonal shape, such as a triangle, a square,a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon, an octagon, and the like.

At 1220, a ferrite element 135 is placed within the aperture 125 in thesecond substrate 120. The ferrite element 135 is typically formed in theshape of a disc, and has a thickness that is substantially equal to thethickness, T₂, of the second substrate 120. This allows the top of theferrite element 135 to be coplanar with the top of the second substrate120 and the bottom of the ferrite element 135 to be coplanar with thecladding 130 on the bottom of the second substrate 120. This preventsany discontinuities from forming within the circuit trace 110 due tounwanted flexing. The use of pre-drilled apertures 125 in the secondsubstrate 120, which are proximately aligned with the circulatorcomponent 115, allows the ferrite element 135 to be “self aligning.”Thus, the ferrite element 135 can be placed in the correct relationshiprelative to the circulator element 115 without the use of specialalignment jigs or structures. Furthermore, since the alignment jigs arenot longer required, the process of inserting the ferrite elements 135can be automated using standard PCB manufacturing techniques.

At 1225, a conductive material 140 is placed across the aperture 125 andover the ferrite element 135 so that it is in electrical contact withthe cladding layer 130. The conductive material 140, by being inelectrical contact with the cladding 130 completes the ground plane forthe circulator 100. Normally, the conductive layer 140 has a thicknessin the range of approximately 0.003 inches and 0.007 inches. The thinconductive material provides a substantially planar ground plane, whichis continuous across the aperture 125. The conductive layer 140 istypically made from a conductive tape, which not only completes theground plane, but also supports the ferrite element 135 in the aperture125 and is thermally stable over the operating temperatures of thecirculator 100. Alternatively, the conductive material 140 may be madeof a conductive adhesive, such as a two-part epoxy, and the like.

Next, at 1230, a magnet 145 is placed beneath the conductive layer 140and in proximal alignment with the ferrite element 135. The magnet 145is typically a permanent magnet and is bonded to the ferrite elementwith a conductive material 140. Typically, the conductive material isthe same conductive tape used for the conductive material 140 disposedbetween the magnet 145 and the ferrite disc 135. The conductive material140 may also be made from a conductive adhesive, and the like.

At 1235 a yoke 155 is placed below the magnet 145. A conductive material140 is also disposed between the magnet 145 and the yoke 155 to allowthe yoke 155 to be bonded to the magnet 145.

Finally, at 1240, the stack is laminated in a one-step process, alsoknown as co-bonding. This co-bonding process of manufacturing can beapplied to manufacturing at least one circulator with at least one RFcomponent that share a common, continuous circuit trace, in which thevarious assembly components are laminated or joined together, in asingle step, commonly referred to “co-bonded” or “co-bonding.”

The method 1200 for manufacturing the circulator assembly 100 providesseveral advantages over existing methods. First, since the circulatorassembly 100 uses standard dielectric materials commonly used in PCBsfor the substrates, rather than ferrite substrates, the cost ofmanufacturing the circulator assembly is greatly reduced. Second, sincethe ferrite elements 135 are self aligning, the circulator assembly 100can be assembled without the use of alignment jigs. Therefore, thecirculator assembly 100 can be assembled using standard automated PCBmanufacturing techniques. Furthermore, the method 1200 supports panelproduction practices, which allows large scale production of thecirculator assemblies, which greatly reduces the overall cost ofmanufacturing the circulator assembly 100.

Other alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled inthe art to which an exemplary embodiment pertains without departing fromits spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention isdefined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description.

1. A device comprising: a first substrate; and a continuous circuittrace printed on the first substrate, the continuous circuit tracecomprising a first circulator pattern and a first external component;wherein the circulator pattern comprises a central conductor element andthree or more connection ports.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein thecirculator pattern further comprises a discontinuous ring disposedaround the central conductor element to improve circulator loading. 3.The device of claim 1, wherein the central conductor element comprisesone or more slots, one or more tabs, or both to improve circulatorloading.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first external componentcomprises an RF electronic component.
 5. The device of claim 4, whereinthe RF electronic component comprises one of a second circulatorpattern, a filter, an antenna, a power divider, and a power combiner. 6.The device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first substrate isbetween approximately 0.001 and 0.010 inches.
 7. The device of claim 1,further comprising a second external component in a continuous circuittrace with the first circulator pattern and the first externalcomponent.
 8. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a secondsubstrate disposed beneath the first substrate, comprising: a claddingon a first side; an aperture; and a ferrite element inserted into theaperture and proximately aligned with the central conductor element; aconductive material disposed over the ferrite element and in electricalcontact with the cladding to form a continuous ground plane; and a firstmagnet disposed below the ferrite element.
 9. A device comprising: afirst substrate; a first continuous circuit trace printed on the firstside of the first substrate, the first continuous circuit tracecomprising a first circulator pattern and a first external component; asecond continuous circuit trace printed on the second side of the firstsubstrate, the second continuous circuit trace comprising at least asecond circulator pattern; wherein the first and second circulators eachcomprise a central conductor element and three or more connection ports.10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first circulator and the secondcirculator are connected with conductive vias in the first substrate.11. The device of claim 9, wherein the thickness of the first substrateis between approximately 0.001 and 0.010 inches.
 12. The device of claim9, wherein the second continuous circuit trace printed on the secondside of the first substrate comprises the second circulator pattern anda second external component.
 13. The device of claim 9, furthercomprising: a second substrate disposed beneath the first substrate,comprising: a cladding on a first side; a first aperture; and a firstferrite element inserted into the first aperture and proximately alignedwith the central conductor elements; a conductive material disposed overthe first ferrite element and in electrical contact with the cladding onthe first side of the second substrate to form a continuous groundplane; and a first magnet disposed below the first ferrite element. 14.The device of claim 13, wherein the thickness of the second substrate isbetween approximately 0.01 and 0.07 inches.
 15. The device of claim 13,wherein the conductive material comprises a conductive thin filmadhesive.
 16. The device of claim 13, further comprising: a thirdsubstrate disposed above the first substrate, comprising: a cladding ona first side; a second aperture; and a second ferrite element insertedinto the second aperture and proximately aligned with the centralconductor elements; a conductive material disposed over the secondferrite element and in electrical contact with the cladding on the firstside of the third substrate to form a continuous ground plane; and asecond magnet disposed above the second ferrite element.
 17. A methodfor creating an integrated circuit comprising: providing a firstsubstrate; printing a continuous circuit on the first side of the firstsubstrate comprising a first circulator pattern and a first externalcomponent.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: providing asecond substrate comprising a metalized layer on at least one side;creating a first aperture in the second substrate sized and shaped toaccept a first ferrite disk; inserting the first ferrite disk into theaperture; placing a conductive material over the first ferrite disk suchthat the conductive material is in electrical contact with the firstferrite disk and the metalized layer on the second substrate to form acontinuous ground plane; placing a first magnet below the first ferritedisk; and bonding the second substrate to the bottom of the firstsubstrate.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: providing athird substrate comprising a metalized layer on at least one side;creating a second aperture in the third substrate sized and shaped toaccept a second ferrite disk; inserting the second ferrite disk into theaperture; placing a conductive material over the ferrite disk such thatthe conductive material is in electrical contact with the first ferritedisk and the metalized layer on the third substrate to form a continuousground plane; placing a second magnet above the second ferrite disk; andbonding the third substrate to the top of the first substrate.
 20. Themethod of claim 17, further comprising printing a second continuouscircuit trace on a second side of the first substrate comprising atleast a second circulator.